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Battling Cancer Through Clinical Trials
Trials Often Give Patients, Doctors New Treatment Methods
UPDATED: 9:41 am CDT September 6,
2008
MADISON, Wis. -- Clinical trials help lead to advancement in the fight against all types of health problems -- including cancer -- but it wouldn’t be possible without those willing to try new treatments.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportWhen Julie Mcky walks down the halls of the Dean Oncology Clinic, it's a good thing. Her memories there are good ones."On Dec. 17 I found out that I had breast cancer and Dec. 2 I had my first surgery, a lumpectomy," said Mcky.But to be certain they had removed it all, she underwent a mastectomy three weeks later."It was scary a time, not knowing what you have and the extent of what you have," said Mcky.Now cancer-free, life is starting to return to normal for Mcky."Here I am! I'm getting hair back!" said Mcky.As a mother of two young boys, Mcky and her husband wanted to be certain the cancer was gone forever.It was a friend, and fellow breast cancer survivor who first urged Mcky to try a clinical trial."I obviously want to be around to raise my children, so that's the No. 1 reason for me, to do everything that I could, so that if I did have a recurrence, I wasn't kicking myself wondering what I could have done to make things different," said Mcky.That clinical trial featured the drug Avastin. It's a drug researchers are testing to see if it will stop cancers, like Mcky's from ever coming back, WISC-TV reported.Dean Health System Doctor Charles Diggs has been a principal investigator for oncology clinical trials for 20 years."(The) advantage to them (patients) is that they have access to some drugs that otherwise would not be available, standard therapies, that have not yet been approved by the FDA," said Diggs.Some of the benefits to taking part in clinical trials include: Patient Can Try New Treatments Further Monitoring & Scans Drugs Free of Charge Help Future Patients"I think the opportunity for patients to go on clinical trials is really one of the things we have to encourage so we can make progress in the field," said Diggs."Once you become a cancer patient, it's not just limited to what cancer you have, it's just wanting to be there to further the advances in treatments for other cancers too," said Mcky.Mcky said she'll continue clinical trials as long as she is allowed to do so and she also hopes to volunteer and help others with cancer.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportWhen Julie Mcky walks down the halls of the Dean Oncology Clinic, it's a good thing. Her memories there are good ones."On Dec. 17 I found out that I had breast cancer and Dec. 2 I had my first surgery, a lumpectomy," said Mcky.But to be certain they had removed it all, she underwent a mastectomy three weeks later."It was scary a time, not knowing what you have and the extent of what you have," said Mcky.Now cancer-free, life is starting to return to normal for Mcky."Here I am! I'm getting hair back!" said Mcky.As a mother of two young boys, Mcky and her husband wanted to be certain the cancer was gone forever.It was a friend, and fellow breast cancer survivor who first urged Mcky to try a clinical trial."I obviously want to be around to raise my children, so that's the No. 1 reason for me, to do everything that I could, so that if I did have a recurrence, I wasn't kicking myself wondering what I could have done to make things different," said Mcky.That clinical trial featured the drug Avastin. It's a drug researchers are testing to see if it will stop cancers, like Mcky's from ever coming back, WISC-TV reported.Dean Health System Doctor Charles Diggs has been a principal investigator for oncology clinical trials for 20 years."(The) advantage to them (patients) is that they have access to some drugs that otherwise would not be available, standard therapies, that have not yet been approved by the FDA," said Diggs.Some of the benefits to taking part in clinical trials include: Patient Can Try New Treatments Further Monitoring & Scans Drugs Free of Charge Help Future Patients"I think the opportunity for patients to go on clinical trials is really one of the things we have to encourage so we can make progress in the field," said Diggs."Once you become a cancer patient, it's not just limited to what cancer you have, it's just wanting to be there to further the advances in treatments for other cancers too," said Mcky.Mcky said she'll continue clinical trials as long as she is allowed to do so and she also hopes to volunteer and help others with cancer. Copyright 2008 by Channel 3000. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
